#195: Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita, AEW Revolution (3/3/2024).
This is #6 in my Top Matches of 2024.
This is Ospreay’s debut as an official member of the AEW roster.
After spending so long turning heads in the British wrestling scene, as well as the Japanese wrestling scene, Will Ospreay finally made the leap to American Wrestling by signing with All Elite Wrestling. After finishing his contract obligations, Ospreay was set for his first official match as a member of the roster, against fellow Don Callis family member Konosuke Takeshita, in what was guaranteed to be an incredible battle.
The bell sounds, and the crowd is absolutely hot for this. They’re ready for a fun showdown. They lock up, and Ospreay takes control of the arm, and Takeshita reverses into his own arm control. Ospreay takes the side headlock, and forces Takeshita into the ropes. Ospreay slaps Takeshita, and takes the headlock again. Shoulder tackle by both, and Ospreay slaps the piss out of him. Beautiful hurricanrana by Ospreay, as the crowd pops hard.
Ospreay chops Takeshita in the corner, and Takeshita fires back with forearms. We get a brief exchange, followed by a diving clothesline by Takeshita. Takeshita sends Ospreay to the apron, and forearms him on the top rope. He hits a vertical suplex to the mat below, and gets a nearfall off of Ospreay. Takeshita goes right into a chin lock next. Takeshita slams Ospreay down, then hits a diving senton from the middle rope for a 2 count.
Takeshita goes to the sleeper hold next, as he looks to slow down the faster Ospreay. He hammers down with a forearm to the chest next. Takeshita follows that up with another forearm. Ospreay chops Takeshita, who just takes it. Takeshita looks for a hip toss, and Ospreay counters it into an abdominal stretch. Nice kick to the face by Ospreay, followed by the Phenomenal Forearm. Ospreay springboards off the ropes with the corkscrew kick to the face.
Takeshita rolls to the floor, as Ospreay hypes the crowd up. He hits a beautiful springboard crossbody to Takeshita on the outside. Back in the ring, Ospreay hits a hard back suplex for a nearfall. Ospreay with some Kawada style kicks to the face, followed by a vicious chop to the chest. Takeshita flattens Ospreay on his chest, and then hits a fast kick to the face. Ospreay is on the floor, and Takeshita dives over with a senton onto Ospreay!
Ospreay is brought back into the ring, and Takeshita dives off the top with a senton, and Ospreay gets his knees up to block! Ospreay goes to the top rope, and he misses the Sky Twister Press. Takeshita hits a great German Suplex into a pin, and Ospreay kicks out. Elbow strike by Takeshita, followed by a jumping kick by Ospreay. Takeshita catches Ospreay with a dead lift German Suplex! Ospreay fires back with a standing Spanish Fly! The crowd is on their feet, cheering this! Take that, old podcasters!
Both men are on their knees, tossing forearms at the other. They’re back to their feet, continuing this exchange. Hook Kick by Ospreay, and Takeshita goes down. Big forearm by Ospreay, and another. Discus elbow strike follows that. Takeshita waves off the referee, saying that he’s able to continue. Ospreay lightly kicks at Takeshita’s head in the corner. Takeshita grabs his foot, and rises out of the corner like a zombie, then he absolutely drills Ospreay with a forearm.
Takeshita with another, and Ospreay won’t go down! Ospreay with more Kawada kicks, and Takeshita with a 3rd forearm to the face! Ospreay counters a clothesline, and tries for a powerbomb, but Takeshita counters with one of his own. Ospreay counters that with a Hook Kick and an enziguri, followed by a thrust kick into the Tiger Driver for a nearfall. Oscutter attempt is countered into a Blue Thunder Bomb for a close 2 count! What a sequence!
The crowd is white hot for this action. Takeshita grabs Ospreay and goes for a German Suplex, but Ospreay blocks it. Lariat by Takeshita, and another kick by Ospreay. Takeshita blocks one Oscutter, but can’t block the next. Ospreay covers, but it only gets a 2 count. Ospreay goes for Hidden Blade, and Takeshita counters with a huge elbow to the head! He covers, and Ospreay just barely kicks out. Takeshita places Ospreay on the top rope, and he gets forearmed to the mat. Takeshita shoulders Ospreay in the jaw, but Ospreay slips out and hits Cheeky Nandos!
Ospreay places Takeshita on top, and goes for a hurricanrana, but Takeshita blocks it. He then follows up with a Suplex onto the turnbuckle itself, and the landing was absolutely disgusting. Ospreay is able to kick out of that pinfall. Ospreay’s back is fucked. Takeshita with a huge knee to the face, and he’s only able to get 2. Takeshita drops the knee pad, and goes for it again, but Ospreay catches it. He eats a headbutt, and gives Takeshita a Hook Kick.
Stundog Millionaire by Ospreay, followed by a Poisonrana! Ospreay tries for Storm Breaker, and Takeshita hits the Bastard Driver, followed by a deadlift German Suplex, and Ospreay rolls through that to hit the Hidden Blade! He covers, and Takeshita kicks out at the count of 1! The fans explode, and are on their feet for this! Takeshita blocks Storm Breaker, but can’t block a combo of strikes. Takeshita absolutely tears Ospreay apart with a lariat!
Ospreay catches the jumping knee and turns it into the Styles Clash! He covers, and Takeshita kicks out again! Ospreay hooks the arms, and hits the Tiger Driver 91! He removes his elbow pad, and connects with the Hidden Blade! He covers, and that’s enough for the win! Post match, Ospreay embraces with Takeshita, along with his fellow United Empire mate Kyle Fletcher.
Often in wrestling today, you’ll hear people complain about this kind of match – the one with a lot of moves, crazy sequences, and wild nearfalls. They’ll say it’s killing the business. Well, watch this match, and listen to the fans in attendance, and how they roar with approval to this! I’d say the business is going to be okay. What an absolutely fantastic back and forth contest we got here! It was full of heavy shots, crazy high flying spots, incredible sequences, and some genuinely crazy near falls towards the end.
The athleticism and stamina on display here is nothing short of phenomenal. Ospreay and Takeshita are among the best in the business right now because of this very trait. The story told here was similar to the story Ospreay told with Shingo Takagi during the 2019 Best of the Super Juniors Finals – speed versus strength. Ospreay obviously has the speed advantage, but coupled with his own incredible strength, Takeshita gave him a run for his money in the speed department as well.
What we got was a blitz of a match between two guys who specialize in it. You see these kinds of matches all the time, but rarely does it reach a level beyond “that was a lot of fun!” This is one of the cases where it’s elevated to a great status, while also being a ton of fun as well! Ospreay breaking out the Tiger Driver 91 here was the start of his own story with that move that would carry through the remainder of the year. This was one hell of a start to his AEW run.